Drin Dialogue 2 National Consultation Meeting Report

Drin Dialogue Consultation process for the establishment of a Shared Vision for the management of the extended Drin Basin 2nd National Consultation Meeting Tirana International Hotel Tirana, 5 April 2011 Report Organized with the support and collaboration of: Albanian Ministry of Environment, Forests and Water Administration United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Global Water Partnership - Mediterranean Mediterranean Information Office for Environment Culture and Sustainable Development United Nations Development Programme Financially supported by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency Within the frameworks of UNECE Water Convention and Petersberg Phase II / Athens Declaration Process 0 Prepared by the Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean Secretariat Athens, June 2011 For more information, please contact: Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean c/o MIO-ECSDE 12, Kyrristou str., 10556 Athens, Greece T: +30210-3247490, -3247267, F: +30210-3317127 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.gwpmed.org and www.watersee.net 1 The Petersberg Phase II Process / Athens Declaration Process (Process) for the South Eastern Europe is jointly coordinated by Germany, Greece and the World Bank. The Petersberg Process, initiated in 1998, concerns cooperation on the management of transboundary waters. The Petersberg Process – Phase II is intended to provide support to translate into action the current developments and opportunities for future cooperation on transboundary river, lake and groundwater management in the SEE. It is supported by the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and the World Bank. The Athens Declaration Process concerning Shared Water, Shared Future and Shared Knowledge was initiated in 2003. It provides a framework for a long-term process to support cooperative activities for the integrated management of shared water resources in the SEE and Mediterranean regions. It is jointly supported by the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the World Bank. The two processes progressively came together in order to generate synergies and maximize the outcomes for the benefit of the SEE region. The Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med) is the technical facilitator of related activities. The main joint objective is to build capacity and share experience on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), and to develop IWRM plans for shared water bodies as a response to the targets of the 2002 Johannesburg Summit. The Process supports a series of complementary activities that provide a forum for transboundary water management issues in SEE. The Process complements the EU integration processes and other ongoing initiatives in the region. It contributes directly to the scope and objectives of the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative (MED EUWI) and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Strategic Partnership for the Mediterranean Large Marine Ecosystem. For more information visit www.watersee.net The UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (UNECE Water Convention) is the only existing international legal framework outside the EU in force for transboundary water cooperation. The Convention was signed in Helsinki in 1992 and entered into force in 1996. As of September 2008, 35 countries and the European Community are Parties to the Convention, including Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania and Slovenia. The Convention aims to protect surface and ground water by preventing transboundary impacts on health, safety and nature, which in turn affect the quality of life. It also promotes ecologically sound management of transboundary waters, and their reasonable and equitable use as a way of avoiding conflicts. Parties to the Convention are obliged to conclude specific bilateral or multilateral agreements providing for the establishment of joint bodies (institutional arrangements such as river basin commissions). These joint bodies must agree on a common action plan to reduce pollution, in addition to agreeing on water quality objectives and waste-water emission limits. They are also required to cooperate on information exchange and monitoring and assessment. Early warning systems must be established to warn neighboring countries of any critical situation such as flooding or accidental pollution that may have a i transboundary impact. Parties to the Convention are also required to inform the general public of the state of transboundary waters and any prevailing or future measures. The Convention provides a legal framework for regional cooperation on shared water resources. Several bilateral and multilateral agreements between UNECE countries are based on the principles and provisions of the Convention, including, in SEE, the Danube River Protection Convention and the Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin. Under the Convention, the Protocol on Water and Health and the Protocol on Civil Liability were adopted in 1999 and in 2003, respectively. The programme of work adopted every three years by the Meeting of the Parties to the Convention is a useful tool to support Parties’ and non-Parties’ implementation, identify joint priorities and address emerging challenges. SEE is considered a priority action area, thus the 2007-2009 programme of work includes a number of activities to support ratification by non-Parties and foster cooperation on transboundary waters in the region. For more information visit www.unece.org/env/water ii BACKGROUND – THE CONTEXT FOR THE DISCUSSIONS DURING THE NATIONAL CONSULTATION MEETING THE “EXTENDED” DRIN BASIN (Basin): A complex water system, linking together lakes, rivers, wetlands and other aquatic habitats into a single ecosystem of major importance. The “extended” Drin Basin comprises the watersheds of the Prespa1, Ohrid and Shkoder2 Lakes and the Black Drin3, White Drin4, Drin5 and Buna/Bojana Rivers. The Drin River is the “connecting body” of a water system, linking the lakes, wetlands, rivers and other aquatic habitats into a single ecosystem of major importance. The water bodies and their watersheds are spread in a geographical area that includes Albania, Greece, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (from this point forward referred to as FYR Macedonia), Montenegro and Kosovo (UN administered territory under UN Security Council resolution 1244). Flowing from Lake Ohrid, which itself receives part of its waters from Lake Prespa through underground karstic formations, the Black Drin eventually leaves FYR Macedonia and enters Albania. The White Drin rises in Kosovo and flows into Albania where it meets the Black Drin to form the Drin River. Flowing through Albania, one arm of the Drin joins the Buna/Bojana River (a watercourse which drains Lake Shkoder and, shared between Albania and Montenegro forms part of their border before finally flowing into the Adriatic Sea) near the city of Shkodra and the other arm drains directly into the Adriatic Sea south of Shkodra near the city of Lezhe. Each of these water bodies has a number of tributaries, small rivers and streams. The following table depicts the hydrographic connections: Table 1: Shared water bodies in the South Western Balkan Peninsula Water bodies Prespa Lake Ohrid Lake Drin River Shkoder Buna/Bojana Lake River Physically interconnected (through surface waters flow) Physically interconnected (through groundwater flow) Albania, Albania, Albania, FYR FYR Macedonia, Albania, Shared by: FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Montenegro Macedonia Greece Kosovo 1 The Prespa basin includes two lakes separated by a naturally formulated narrow strip of land: Macro Prespa and Micro Prespa. From this point forward we will be referred to the system of the two lakes as Prespa. 2 The Lake is called “Skadar” in Montenegro and “Shkodër” or “Shkodra” and also sometimes “Scutari” in Albania. 3 The River is called Drin i Zi in Albania and Crn Drim in FYR Macedonia. From now on the English name –Black Drin– will be used to avoid the usage of different names when referred to it. 4 The River is called Drin i Bardhë in Albania and Beli Drin in Kosovo. From now on the English name –White Drin– will be used to avoid the usage of different names when referred to it. 5 The River is called Drin i madh or Drini in Albania. From now on the name “Drin” will be used to avoid the usage of different names when referred to it. - 1 - An example of interdependences across countries/territories and sectors. The Drin regional transboundary system is a fine example that illustrates the interdependences created between different uses (agriculture, hydropower generation, industry, fisheries, urban, tourism etc.) in four major inter-connected inland water bodies and a receiving sea (the Adriatic), and a number of countries with, many times, different priorities and interests. It can also be used to illustrate the complexity of the management of water resources in the region which goes beyond the possible achievement of a suitable and effective management in a single sovereign state. A system extending across national boundaries, being managed through a series of quite different and often incoherent management approaches. The riparian countries are in different stages of development. In most of the cases, a history of fragmented, sometimes overlapping or even contradictory legislation, generally weak environmental administration, limited financial resources as well as low public participation and awareness, also affects the current situation. Non-sustainable management

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